A gas explosion is believed to have caused a fire which ripped through a West Kensington flat.

The blaze destroyed a section of the third-floor flat in a four-storey building on the corner of Comeragh and Palliser Roads on Thursday last week (3).

A woman was in at the time and had to be taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. She has since been discharged but neighbours say she hasn't returned to the flat since.

One resident, who didn't want to be named, said plumes of smoke billowed into the air following a bang.

"The lady was in a state of shock. She was waiting for the brigade to come and she was getting more and more anxious and began to cry.

"She came out in a T-shirt and underwear so I don't know if she had been in bed. Luckily the brigade got here before the fire really took hold because there was a load of smoke coming out of the windows.

"Then the woman went into the ambulance and I haven't seen her since."

The neighbour said fire officers suspected the blaze could have been something to do with gas.

He added: "They came and checked my meter. I think there is some work going on in the basement flat."

The brigade said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.